Yesterday I went shopping with a friend in Delhi to look for a sari for my sister. We went to a government emporium called Central Cottage Industries, it is an Aladdin’s cave of craft treasures from all the states of India. There is much to admire on each floor but the real experience comes once you take your goods for payment…
As is normal across the world, there are points dotted around the store with what seems to be a till point with people queuing around it, except in this emporium it’s not. The member of staff takes the items from you and then hands you a bill but you can’t pay there and you can’t take your items. Confusing?
I was told to go to a central payment area to stand in another queue to pay and be handed another bill, only to be told to go to another section to stand in another queue to collect my shopping.
The despatch point is chaotic with the poor staff unable to ascertain what the bill is describing (in English) and match it to the items. After much waiting, searching and exhaustion my bag was finally found. The staff member then took my bill, stamped the copy of the bill that was stapled to my bag and then I could leave but not before a guard at the door looked at my bill and stamped it again!
British people are meant to enjoy a good queue but that was painful and left my friend and I a little uneasy with all the checking. Are we not to be trusted to take our shopping from the second floor out of the building in case we slipped something else into the bag? I feel this experience is more stringent than necessary and spoilt the fun of shopping.
Bubbly
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